Friday, June 21, 2013

OPW Sends Letter to President Obama on Decision to Arm Syrian Rebels

June
21, 2013

Dear
President Obama,

On
May 6, 2013, the Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church (USA) urged your administration to exercise caution and wisdom in any
response to reports of chemical weapons use in Syria.Of particular concern to our church, and our
Christian partners on the ground, is the potential for increased violence and
widening of the conflict.

The
recent announcement by the Deputy National Security advisor that there is
credible evidence that the Assad regime has used chemical weapons against the
Syrian people is extremely disturbing.However, further intervention from outside parties only increases the
risk that the conflict in Syria will result in surging civilian deaths and even
worse humanitarian conditions for the Syrian people.

As
you know, civilians are bearing the brunt of the fighting in Syria with nearly
93,000 killings documented through the end of April.And, the United Nations has estimated that
ten million Syrians will need aid by the end of this year - 3.45-million Syrian
refugees in neighboring countries, and 6.8 million people in Syria itself.The current situation in Syria is fragile
and complex with weaponsnow accessible
throughoutthe country escalating
violence and instability.

The
220th General Assembly (2012) of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) urged our
government:

•to support a
mediated process of cessation of violence by all perpetrators, including the
Assad regime and armed opposition groups; •to call for all
outside parties to cease all forms of intervention in Syria; •to support a
strong and necessary role for the United Nations, possibly including observers
and peacekeeping forces; and •to refrain from
military intervention in Syria.

In
keeping with this action of the GeneralAssembly, I urge you to use extreme caution in implementing policies
that might escalate the conflict.I
further urge you to work with the United Nations and other governments to
contain the violence, restore stability in the region, provide humanitarian
assistance, and encourage the building of an inclusive society in Syria that
protects the rights of all its citizens.

The
tragedy that is unfolding on the ground in Syria is heartbreaking and the
cohesion of the Syrian social fabric is essential for the stability of the
entire region.Syria urgently needs a
political solution that ends the fighting and creates a future for all
Syrians.It is only through nonviolent
means that we can hope for radical change that leads to a just peace.

About Me

The Presbyterian Office of Public Witness is the public policy information and advocacy office of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Its task is to advocate, and help the church to advocate, the social witness perspectives and policies of the Presbyterian General Assembly. The church has a long history of applying these biblically and theologically-based insights to issues that affect the public — maintaining a public policy ministry in the nation's capital since 1946.
Reformed theology teaches that because a sovereign God is at work in all the world, the church and Christian citizens should be concerned about public policy. In addition, Presbyterian forefather John Calvin wrote, "Civil magistry is a calling not only holy and legitimate, but by far the most sacred and honorable in human life."